Sharing Netflix passwords with others? You might be in for a rude awakening

Popular streaming service Netflix is testing a feature that will probably ask its viewers to verify whether they share a household with the account holder or not, a move that is aimed at the clampdown on sharing of passwords.

Few users have already received a message from Netflix asking them to confirm whether they live with the account owner or not by entering details from a text message or email sent to the owner.

If the viewers don’t respond to the messages, then maybe after another message, they will be asked to open a new account to continue streaming.

"This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," a Netflix spokesperson said.

Netflix, the world's largest streaming service, constantly tests new features with users and it is unclear if the household verification requirement will be implemented more widely.

The Netflix terms of service say that users of an account must live in the same household, though the company and other streaming services have declined to broadly crackdown on sharing.